The Universe's Mixer

"Sihal Novarum Chinoth."

With the usual flare of pink light, Megan vanished from the park and reappeared behind the library. She looked around, nodded to herself, and took out a small notepad and a clicky pen from her pocket, scribbling notes in it before returning both. She took a deep breath, bracing herself and threw her hands out in front of her.

"Sihal Novarum Chinoth."

Another flare of bright pink light, and she was gone, off again to continue her teleporting experiment. She reappeared just outside the botanical gardens, and started scribbling again.

She was feeling a little better after talking with Ollie. She still wasn't sure what was going to happen. They needed to talk to the League, have a vote. She was just glad her name would be off the table because yikes! Pressure!

She had to follow up with Jack, however. He was willing to talk with the League about working together with the City, but there was a delay. She didn't want him to think they'd changed their mind. She'd teleported his phone back to his office, but she wasn't entirely sure it made it there. Only one way to be sure! Good thing she remembered his number.

If there were one thing anyone could say about Beauty, it was that she knew her way around books. And in a library, there was no one who could find what was needed as quickly as she -- just as long as the knowledge was contained within the book (and not one of those boxes with the clicky rat).

But when the librarian showed her the yellow book full of names and addresses and digits, even she was surprised how quickly someone could find an address. Charlie Crews. Now that the buildings weren't moving, addresses meant more than what they had in the past. Armed with her new-found knowledge and a hand-drawn map and a basket of fruit, cheese, croissants, and bordeaux on her arm, Beauty struck out one late afternoon, intent on inviting her new fruit friend on a makeshift picnic. There were still the wonders of the African horned fruit to discover.

Lightly traipsing up the winding walk to the door, Beauty was humming to herself as she knocked. A big, delighted grin spread itself across her mouth when she heard the lock turn in the door. She bounced on her slippered toes.

Zee had kept the rest of the visit with Dinah as light as possible, not wanting her friend to worry more than she already was. The reality was that after Dinah left she'd called Ollie almost in a panic. They needed to talk. Now. Immediately!

She wanted to call Jack, see how he was doing and make sure she didn't screw anything up with trying to help while he was sleeping, but until this matter was settled she wanted to hold off. She was going to have to tell him that the lineup had changed...and hopefully she'd be able to give him a name of the new League leader. Gods, that might actually be a while since they'd have to take a vote with the others.

Waiting was the hardest part so she puttered around Shadowcrest cleaning things even though she really didn't need to. Shadowcrest cleaned itself, but sometimes it was good to be able to do things herself. At this rate she'd have the whole downstairs of the manor dustless by her own physical actions.

Dinah hadn't meant to put off talking to Zatanna about resigning from the League. She really hadn't. However, it was a conversation that she wasn't looking forward to. She was a little bit worried that Zatanna would try to talk her out of it, and perhaps a bit worried that she wouldn't.

She knew it was the right decision, but it still hurt to make it all the same.

She had brought a peace offering of Chinese food and wine and was hoping for a bit of time with her friend on top of the unhappy conversation that they would have to have.

She'd told her friend that she was coming and now she knocked on the door to Shadowcrest and tried to ignore the feeling that the house was watching her with interest.

Alice had told Hatter right off the bat that she was living in Jack's apartment. Technically, she guessed it was her apartment, too, now. But she preferred not to think of it that way. Especially since she was looking for another place to live. She'd been hoping that Hatter would ask her to stay with him, but he'd just mentioned going for pizza without her and acting as aloof as ever. He'd admitted to going through the looking glass to find her, but was it just to escape Wonderland or was it because he wanted to see her? She supposed she would never really know unless she asked him outright, and that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

She was in her room. Amazingly before the City had stopped moving, her closet had been filled with all the clothes she would normally wear, including some jis for martial arts practice. She was fingering them, wondering if she'd ever be able to teach again, when she heard the doorbell.

She was pretty sure Jack would get the door, but she was curious about who it could be and she opened the door to her room and stepped out into the hall that led to the living area and the front door.

She gave Jack a small smile and nodded as he reached the door and stood back slightly to see who was behind it.

There were times when Brennan missed home. She liked going to the Royal Diner and for drinks at the Founding Fathers. She knew there were bars and restaurants she could go to here, but she hadn't really done a lot of exploring since she'd been back and she knew that none of the people she knew would be there anyway. She was feeling nostalgic, though, so she donned her trench coat and hit the sidewalks looking for a diner.

Her boots made small thudding noises on the concrete as she wandered along. Finally, she spied a building that looked promising. She pulled the door open and stepped inside and sidled up to the bar. She didn't want to take up a whole table or booth for herself. That was just silly.

She picked up a menu when it was placed in front of her and immediately ordered a chocolate shake. She was perusing the dinner options when she saw a shadow fall over the bar and then a body settle into the bar stool beside her. It was all in her peripheral, so she didn't get a good look, and since she was not all that great with social interactions, she didn't look up and try to make conversation, either.

She just kept studying that menu for something that sounded good.

Dinner had been nice for the most part. Fred had tried not to prolong it more than it needed to be, but she really didn't want what was coming next. She had a feeling it was going to be a very uncomfortable time, when all she wanted was nice and cuddly. After cleaning up the mess they made of Hank's lab, not that it had been much, she went with Jake to his apartment.

She felt a little uncomfortable as she stood just inside the door. Her body itched a little from wanting to take a shower; it was the usual feeling after being beaten up and mended. She was glad there was a doctor near by, and she knew she couldn't just hop in the shower quite yet. Actually she wasn't sure she could do it very well with how her side hurt.

"So, did you see my bruise?" Fred gave him a proud little smile. "I don't think I got too burnt." She glanced at herself, knowing the scorch marks were here and there. She was delaying, just a little longer.

Ever since the “incident” with that ridiculously tall leprechaun, Jeannie had been avoiding the park. Not consciously. She did not think about ways to avoid passing through it, or alternate routes around it. She had simply been doing it, and it was not until that very morning that she realized it. Which gave Mad Sweeney far too much influence over her life.

( That would have to change. )

Megan's cozy third-floor flat was clean.

Of course, this resulted in two bags full of dirty laundry that had previously been tossed everywhere. She frowned down at the bags, hefted one, grunted, and put it down, staring doubtfully out the window. The nearest laundromat wasn't that far away, but...

A little cheating was useful sometimes. And with the streets staying put, she didn't even have to worry about ending up somewhere completely weird. One Sihal Novarum Chinoth later, and she and one of the laundry bags appeared inside the laundromat in a halo of pink light. She dusted off her hands, satisfied, and dragged the bag over to the nearest empty machine.

Hannibal had no idea how River felt about this new way of the City, but he had discovered something and wanted to share it with her. He thought that it would make her smile and it could also be something that they would share for a long while though his vast and very capable memory. They could build a room of their own in his Mind Palace, visit it whenever they wanted.

First things first, he had to find her.

He decided that this time, he would just go to her apartment and wait, instead of trying other locations and leaving them. She would have to be back here eventually. He didn't even go inside, but sat on the stoop. That way he could grab her as soon as she appeared, before she got a chance to say hello to neighbors or decide to go get food before hand.

Veronica wasn't exactly the girliest of girls, but since finding herself stuck in the City, she was really missing her female friends. Especially Mac.

Her interaction with female people had been limited to work, and to one lunch with Lois Lane.

She needed people to hang out with that weren't in law enforcement, and weren't Logan. And hopefully she wouldn't ruin their lives.

Veronica left work and headed to a bar to grab a drink, thinking about all of this and looking around the bar for other women her age. There weren't many, but there were a few. It was a Tuesday, so this wasn't the big drinking weekend crowd, just people on their way home.

She took a seat next to a girl that looked a little older than her, maybe, with dark hair and big eyes. Once she'd ordered her drink and convinced the bartender she wasn't 12, Veronica said hi.

In her best, non-crazy, non-stalkery way.

Here was hoping she wasn't anything like Parker.

Brennan had more or less settled into life in the City once more. It was different, without everything moving around and the unnerving refill of food and funds. It was like life at home. She bought groceries from the store, made her own meals, did her own laundry, worked at the lab and pretended that it was all very normal. It wasn't, of course. She had neither friend nor family in this place, but for once she was unconcerned with being alone.

The doctor was working on a skeleton that had been found at the bottom of a well long unused. Apparently the only reason the skeleton had been found at all was the offensive smell of decomposing flesh. The flesh, or what was left of it, had since been removed, and she was combing the boiled bones for hints as to the cause of death.

She was reminded of the bones of the young man that Dr. Lecter had brought to her for examination the first time she was brought to the City. She straightened, settling the gloved heels of her hands on the exam table. She wondered if Dr. Lecter was still in the City and recalled that he had been working at the Hospital at the time. She rolled her lips and imagined that he must still be there. And perhaps he had finally gotten through the volumes of text she had given him to study.

She stepped back from the table. The bones could wait. She snapped her gloves off and tossed them in the bin as she made her way to the exit. She could feel something like excitement building. She hadn't had a real intern, a regular intern, for some time. She enjoyed teaching, and that part of her life was something she would miss. But maybe she didn't have to.

She arrived at the hospital a short time later and asked reception until she was directed to his area, after which she was unsure of where to go and adopted a furrowed brow as she glanced around for someone to further direct her.

Dean sighed softly as he drove through the City's streets. Something didn't sound right in his baby, and he was having a hard time figuring out what it was. He'd recently changed the oil, the spark plugs, and a few belts. He could probably flush the system, but he didn't think that could be it. Most people would believe the car was just fine, yet something about the way the engine sounded was off. He knew the Impala from the ground up, and he'd rebuilt it a time or two. So, when he thought that there was a problem, there was more than likely a problem.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm listening. Just keep talking to me. I'll figure it out." He finally slowed down and let the car idle, as if it would actually give him some answers. He needed to go back to the garage that Dinah was so nicely letting him use. He let the car run a little longer before shutting off the engine. He'd pulled up outside an auto parts store to pick up a few items. He was going to head back definitely.

"I'll get you better, don't worry." Dean's hand brushed along the hood of the car as if he were trying to comfort the black beauty. As if the car could understand anything he said. He cared about the car. He headed into the store to get what he thought might help. He'd make sure his baby would fire on all cylinders, so to speak, soon enough. He wouldn't let her down.

Being more used to, but not even remotely tired of, being in the sun, Eric had taken to exploring more of the shops that he didn't normally have access to. There were stores and restaurants that opened only at lunch. He did make a point to stay clear of Dinah and her shop, as he had promised her, but he felt that the rest of the City was fair game.

Not truly intending to buy any, Eric stepped inside a coffee shop and took in the smells. It was a strong, powerful aroma that covered pretty much everything within. It was almost overpowering to the point of causing him an inability to smell the underlying scents. Eric had no idea why humans would enjoy such a harsh thing, but the place was filled, so he must be missing something.

He was going to turn and leave when he saw the girl working the counter. Her pink hair wasn't really extraordinary to him. He'd seen wilder dos at his bar. But the wings. Now, those were something special. And it only took him a moment of watching to see that they were the real thing, not just some accessory worn by a pathetic wanna-be.

Eager, he stepped into the line. Part of him wished to push to the front, but he knew that it would only cause a ruckus in the shop. He waited as the line slowly inched forward until he was the one at the front.

He beamed.

He could smell her. Oh, it was covered with that odor of the coffee, and not as strong as others he had encountered. He was willing to stake a bet that she wasn't a full blooded fairy. But she didn't have to be, did she?

"Hello." He didn't wait for her to speak. "I'm entirely new to coffee. I'm hoping you can help."

Exploring was a lot easier with the streets in one place, but not nearly as much fun. Annie had to admit that without the movement, she was a little let down. Streets were still in every other universe ever, fictional and otherwise. Moving streets and buildings were unique here, and she missed it though she hadn't been around for very long.

It was so easy to get from point a to point b it was almost frustrating.

She wasn't expecting any kind of excitement for the day, really. She was just going to go to the store and pick up some essential things and then go home. There would be no random encounters because she wasn't going to take very long to do her errands now that everything was immobile.

So when she came across the guy with the tracking system in his hands, she was pleasantly surprised. She walked right up to him and stared at the device.

Interviewed?

Ted got the memo on his desk and sat staring at it for a really long time, trying to understand if this was really for him or if it had been meant for somebody else, but accidentally dropped at his desk. Because, who would want to interview the guy who was dealing with the City's finances? His job was really boring to most people. He knew because when he started to talk about what he did for a living, in previous jobs along these lines, their eyes had a tendency to glaze over after just a few words spilled out of his mouth, and once or twice, Ted even caught them drooling.

"Excuse me." He asked his secretary (HIS SECRETARY!) when she passed by. "Are you sure that you didn't take this message for somebody else?"

"Of course, Mr Earley, that's for you. She'll be here soon." His secretary was the kind of girl that he might have gotten into trouble with when he'd been a CEO, but now he just wanted to know why her parents let her out of the house in skirts that small.

"She?" He took off his glasses and sat back in his chair. "Who she?"

"Oh, Lois Lane, sir."

"What?"

"Lois Lane? She's a reporter at the City Voice."

"Lois Lane."

"Yes, sir."

"Lois Lane is coming here."

"Yes, sir. Is there a problem? Do you want to reschedule? Should I have not said yes to her?"

"No. No, it's okay." He closed his eyes, trying to think of his secretary's name. She'd only just started and with this Lois Lane business he was having trouble remembering. "Mandy. Mandy?"

"Mandy." She agreed.

"Thank you, Mandy. I'm just a little overwhelmed that Lois Lane would want to interview me. Me. Sure, Charlie, yeah, I can see that. But me? That's just..."

"Sir?"

"Never mind. You can go back to your desk now."

She smiled at him and he exhaled as she exited the room. What was he going to do? What was he supposed to say to Lois Lane? How was Lois Lane here without Superman? Wasn't that a breach of some Universal covenant or something?

Ted tried to work while he waited for her, feeling entirely too nervous.

After talking with Ollie about taking time away from the League, Dinah had asked him to give her a few day to tell everyone else. She really did owe each of them a personal explanation. Hank was perhaps the conversation she dreaded the most because she'd been the one to bring him into the League. She would miss working with him-with all of them, really. But she didn't think she had any business holding lives in her hands when she couldn't save herself. And when she couldn't have saved Jake either.

Giving up the League and her role as Black Canary meant that she had precious little left these days. She had again moved out of the Manor because she didn't want to intrude on Bruce's space any longer than necessary. At Alfred's urging, she was still there for dinner most nights, but she was back to sleeping in the eerie silence of her townhouse.

There were times when the emptiness would hit her as soon as she walked in the door. Worse still were the times when she would forget and expect Jake to come running out from his room when it was time for dinner, or if he needed help with his homework.

She hadn't reopened the shop to the public yet because she didn't think she could guarantee the safety of her employees or her customers. She had taken to filling her days in the garage attached to the shop, upgrading her bike and doing any repairs that she could think of. She wondered if she shouldn't seek out the parts to build a bike from scratch, but there was a part of her that remembered the words of the man who'd claimed to be the City. Remembered that he might have taken Jake away because she wasn't happy with what she'd been given, whatever that meant. She even wondered if perhaps it was angry that she hadn't stayed in the apartment she'd been granted upon arriving here. Not that she would ask Dean to move out just so she could move back in and appease the City. All the same, it was hard to keep the doubts and worries away.

It was an empty existence, though she knew that she did have friends. She appreciated knowing that they were there and there were times when she tried to find the words so she could better explain what she was going through, or better explain why she had utterly fallen apart.

Failing that, she'd just taken to mostly avoiding contact with anyone.

Save for today. She owed Hank a personal explanation, and she wanted to see how he was as well.

Which was why she stood outside the door to his lab and knocked.

The League meeting had been a bit of a disaster. She felt guilty for arguing with Dean, but only a little bit. The guy was a serious dick. Zee was beginning to think all guys were dicks since that seemed like all she had met lately. Except for one, but...technical difficulties there. Bother! She'd need to make time to talk to Dinah about what happened. See what could be done for the hunt against Eric.

Meanwhile, she was placing surveillance cameras for Jensen. He'd given her a map, a bag of small cameras and thorough instructions on how to activate them that had been written in words with no more than two syllables. She had a feeling he'd tried for monosyllabic words but it was hard to replace "button". Of course he hadn't told her that some of the locations were five stories up on the side of a building! Apparently he had been counting on her teleportation working right because she'd found herself in free fall more than once, tagging a camera and turning it on before teleporting out of danger rapidly. She was SO going to punch Jensen in the face when she got back to the Clocktower!

The final camera was fortunately to be placed in a tree, and not that far up. It was just awkward since she had to put her weight on a low hanging branch and reach up to put the camera right where Jensen wanted it. "...c'mon you little bugger get on..there...ha!" She got the camera attached and activated the transmit switch then leaned back onto her feet. "Final-EE!" The branch gave a crack, then a snap as it broke away from under her. The next thing she knew she was back in free fall.

The City Walks Among Us
by Lois Lane

There is a man named Thomas roaming the City streets that claims to be the embodiment of the City itself, stuck in a human body. Whether he is telling the truth or not is still under investigation, but he did seem to be privvy to information about some of the City's residents that makes this reporter wonder if there's any truth to his claims.

When asked about his thoughts on the City coming to a stop, the man stated that "It is an abomination. This is not how it should be. This is wrong. The person responsible for this will pay, believe me. They will pay." From the sounds of things, a third party may have been involved in the standstill for the City. If that's the case, I think we may see a very unhappy City whenever the streets do start to move again. There are also investigations into what sort of person might be powerful enough to make the City stop moving.

The man claiming to be the City declined to answer any questions on why he would bring so many people from different worlds, but this reporter plans to keep looking for answers to that ever-important question.

It did sound as though the City cares about its people and wants very badly to start taking care of them again. To those that have been anxious in light of this slow-down, take heart. If this Thomas is the City, he does care and is trying to get things back to normal.